Rumors of suicides wake Mexican people up to severity of droughts in Chihuahua mountains

January 18, 2012

The indigenous Tarahumara people of Mexico's Chihuahua state have been hit hard by a long-lasting drought and now freezing temperatures. The drought led to many failed crops, and rumors circulated that as many as 50 Tarahumara people committed suicide rather than face the gravity of the drought's effect on the regional food supply, according to MSNBC.

Many Mexican people sprang to action when news of the suicides broke nationally. Local officials have since denied the claims of such severe reactions to the drought, but they are not ignoring the need for help, food and support for the region, the BBC News reports. the Mexican Red Cross told MSNBC that they would be making three trips to the mountains to bring food, blankets and supplies to the Tarahumara people, one more than last year.

"We're interested in tackling the causes, not the effects, because every year food and blankets are sent, but... every year the indigenous people suffer hunger," Javier Avila, a human rights activist, told reporters, according to the BBC.

People can make calls to Mexico to talk to their loved ones about how they can help the Tarahumara people in their time of need. The news source reports that this is the worst drought to hit the region in more than 70 years.